In a way then, I'm pleased that I'm a literary dullard because I can read these quite easily without stopping at the end of every page for a tut.

The odd thing about Dan Brown/James Patterson/et al books is that I can read them, then immediately not be able to recount anything about them but the most basic plot outline. It's essentially autopilot reading for the poolside that you can have a few beers with, take a little swim, then pick up where you left off, safe in the knowledge that you could even have missed a whole chapter without it mattering.

I got through Angels & Demons and DVC, though only so I could then bitch about them with the full knowledge of how shite they are.

Didn't get through the second Fiona McIntosh book I mentioned earlier. It was off the scale bad. You know, where characters just suddenly change their mind or allegiance because the writer suddenly needed them to. Where characterisation was always explained for you because the writer couldn't write people who displayed those traits. Shame, the central idea was quite neat - but then once McIntosh just ignored the rules she'd set up for the whole story I just threw it away.

Leolian'sBro wrote:
These are fucking awful stories with wafer thin plots and gaping holes in plausibility, told badly by a jobbing hack with delusions of grandeur, and eclipsed by virtually everything else available. You don't need to be some literary luminary to see that.

His actual use of English isn't too bad really - unlike Brown. Which enabled me to read a few of his books.

It's just that (a) His stories are one long dumb action sequence, (b) Half of what he writes is clearly complete bullshit (actually more like 95%).

Imagine someone narrated to you someone playing Gears of War and Metal Gear Solid - with special focus on the military hardware. Or perhaps Tom Clancy with all the action sequences cut and pasted together.

Completely bonkers really. Ice Station seems to have a billion different insane stunts in it that would stretch even Michael Bay's incredulity. Though he'd be the man to direct. The shit hack.

RichardDawkins wrote:
Completely bonkers really. Ice Station seems to have a billion different insane stunts in it that would stretch even Michael Bay's incredulity. Though he'd be the man to direct. The shit hack.